Plumbing in the Home/Sump pump

QuestionWe just moved in to this new home and the sump pump runs every 25 seconds and there is hardly any water in it. The builders plumber says there is no problem but it runs every 25 seconds for no reason. It is driving us crazy. Please help! What is wrong with this thing?

AnswerLynn, Unless you see water in the sump, that pump should not be running. Try unplugging it and watch it for awhile and see if it fills. If it fills in a hurry, you have surface water/water table problems. If it doesn't fill and the pump kicks on, it could be a defective switch. My guess is your builders plumber doesn't want to be bothered to check it out or perhaps they are keeping something from you. If the pump is new it should be under warranty. Tell him to replace it.

If it turns out to not be the pump, there is only one reason it's running. Water. If your water table is high(close to the surface you may have disturbed it during excavation for the foundation. Perhaps your lot is in a low lying area and your getting surface runoff.